Tuesday, February 09, 2016

HEY STEVE, AFTER TONIGHT YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY STILL BELIEVE RUBIO WILL GET A DO-OVER, CAN YOU?

Yeah, you're right -- at this moment Rubio's in fifth place, behind Trump, Kasich, Cruz, and Bush. Exit polls say that 65% of GOP primary voters said the last debate was important in their decision, and that clearly hurt Rubio. So, sure, the Establishment and media were rooting for him, but he's toast now.

Unless...

Wait a minute...









Are we at that moment in the rom-com when the woman has totally written off the guy because he's done something stupid and unforgivable, but then you see her hand reach out toward him because the flame isn't really out, and then the next thing you know they're passionately making out?

And meanwhile, over at Fox:



Yeah, he'll get a do-over.

8 comments:

Feud Turgidson said...

Hey, Steve, I never actually doubted you on THIS point. MY point is, it's going to prove easier for a camel, uh, Hillary, to pass thru the eye of a needle, uh, re-start her campaign so it expresses policies that are as close as possible to Bernie's (WHICH IS WHY I'VE SENT MONEY SO FAR ONLY TO BERNIE, SO THAT WHAT HAPPENED TONITE WOULD TAKE PLACE], that it will for Rubio to stop his reliance on rehearsed and re-rehearsed memes and move every question from a conversation with a human being to putting up a slogan on the side of a building.

So far as I can tell, there's really no opening for Rubio to make any sort of splash between now and Super Tuesday. Doesn't mean the make-over crew won't try, but I see some oligarchs weeping into the pate de fois with truffles over how the kid's gonna keep falling over and coming out of his suit.

Curt Purcell said...

Stick a fork in him, and let go of your sunk costs.

Unknown said...

Hey Steve M. What Curt Purcell said. You're beginning to appear weirdly obsessive on this one.

Unknown said...

Weird obsession notwithstanding, I think Steve is right. As long as Trump and Cruz remain shit sandwiches that the Establishment can't choke down, frantically propping up Rubio's empty suit is the only play left to them.

Unknown said...

@Unknown. I dunno Unknown. What about John Kasich's surprise second finish in NH? I have the feeling that he'll emerge now as the Great White GOP Establishment Hope. I hate what he stands for and says, but at least he can say it without appearing like a robot that's short circuited. I think the Village will start soiling themselves over him, realizing that a pretty-boy, empty-suit with more than a whiff of corruption and a sawdust brain might not be the best anti-Trump card.

CF2K said...

Steve, let's you and him fight!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/strong-horse-weak-horse

Feud Turgidson said...

Not sure there's room to fight there. Marshall essentially is adopting Charlie Pierce's rake-cursed Sideshow Bob take on Rubio, noting Trump's journey down the same trail has been as charmed as Rubio's has been cursed, and is throwing out that Rubio's headed to the glue factory.
AFAICT, Steve M. is arguing that Rubio's now headed into full public image wash-down vy the GOP establishment,for the next, maybe last, but either way another chance. Steve's not saying this necessarily will work out for Marco. If one were to put Steve's do-over.
For myself, I'm in between - tho not, I hope, moderate, centrist, wimping or being low energy. I'm said I agree with Steve that Rubio gets a do-over, but I can't see how that's going to work, for two reasons:
1. the opportunities for Rubio to Rebab between now and Super Tuesday just are not there in this calender.
Nevadea? Cubano Marco's immigration flip-flop is going to get him eviscertated there.
South Crackerhootchy? The palmnuttos went in yuge for the Gingrich last time, and that guy reeks so bad of corruption and sin it's like the morals needs a hazmat suit to be in the same state.
2. As Marshall marshalls, Saturday nite wasn't Christie in a fluke fumble recovery. Rubio has been like this ALL ALONG, and everyyone, Marco included, could see this coming even from the ISS. it's like Cpt Rubio was told of the exact iceberg in the exact spot before he took the Titanic away from England, was told repeatedly exactly whatwould happen if he didn't address the danger, nodded in acknowledge, SAID OUT LOUD 'I get it', and proceeded to ... do nothing but steer straight at it.
Marco's apology and assurance last night are not the first time. He's said both before. He's said beore 'Now I get it. This is on me, not you. It won't happen again.' And then it did.
Also, WTF is up with that "This is on me, not you" to his supporters? I don't have a problem with where I THINK he's going with that, but what an artless stupid way to put it.

Charon04 said...

Sure, there will be a try at rehabilitating R2B2-io, but enthusiasm for that will be underwhelming.

Kasich is not the only alternative, there still is JERB! So maybe JERB! donors less inclined to abandon him for R2B2-io.

Still 3 guys dividing up the non-Crump vote, and moving on to states with voting thresholds.